


Pierced

by tvaine



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Piercing, Short, Short & Sweet, totally tubular
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 07:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14950670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvaine/pseuds/tvaine
Summary: A snippet of when Max gets her nose pierced.





	Pierced

The first thing Lucas noticed when he walked around the corner with Max, was a big sign that blinked “tattoo shop,” with the chosen color of red. The store windows were painted with different skulls and flowers - all in the sketchy shade of black, making Lucas edgy about this whole thing.

Max had wanted a nose piercing for the past three months now, using the argument that it’d look cool. She also had to reassure Lucas that it wouldn’t get stuck on him when they were kissing and making out. She too said that she wanted something to mark the end of an era; senior high.

Lucas was the one to open the door that lead into the tattoo shop, Max sliding in under his left arm that so elegantly held the door open. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was kind of nervous. Not afraid or scared, but nervous. Sure, she had gotten her ears pierced - but that was something different.

Lucas walked in after Max, but shortly after he entered the shop he stopped dead in his tracks. There was a blonde-haired guy sitting on a black leathered rolling stool, facing the wall and fiddling with something on the counter in front of him that was full of tools. That was what made him stop - the tools. There were so many of them, and they were all in different shapes and sizes. It almost looked like they had been mistaken for a dentist’s tools, or a torturer for that sake.  
Even the air that hit him when he walked inside the shop smelt somehow like a dentist’s office.  
He had to keep himself from asking Max if they had gone to the right place, because this seemed too sterile. Compared to all of the tattoo shops he had seen in movies anyway.

“Hello?” Max said, uncertainty in her voice. When the guy that was placed on the rolling stool turned around, they were greeted with a big smile. Max had came in earlier this week, asking for an okay time to come in, and of course, the only free time the piercer had on a Tuesday evening.

“Hey!” The piercer beamed back as he rose up from the stool. As he came closer he stuck out his hand, introducing himself as James.

“Just sit down,” he said and pointed to the black tattoo chair that was placed beside the counter, and in front of his rolling stool.

Max went and sat down in the chair, putting her hair in a low bun to keep it out of the way and watched as Lucas tried to drag another chair to sit beside her.

“You know, why don’t you just get a tattoo?” He asked. Of course he was the one who doubted this now. The other day, after Max had been here, she was the one who doubted it. She kept imagining every scenario where her brother, Billy - would get mad at her for this. She had the blessing of her mother, and didn’t know why Billy would get mad at all - it was her face. Plus - he hadn’t been at her for years now. However she always felt alarmed whenever he was around.

Max couldn’t bother to answer Lucas, she just gave him The Glare. He knew, of course, what that meant. As the piercer came over again, she held out her hand to Lucas, half-nodding and the corner of her mouth crooked downward. The piercer put on a pair of blue plastic gloves and sat down on his stool, adjusting it a bit before rolling closer to her and adjusting her chair.

“Ready?” He asked and Max nodded.

“Shouldn’t she be like, drugged for this?” Lucas asked as he intertwined his fingers with Max’s. The piercer answered simply with a no before he drew a dot on her nose and gave her a mirror and asked if it was placed alright. She watched the dot that was placed on the curve on her nose and nodded. It was placed perfect. He then continued to take out a cotton swab and began to spread cold liquid over her nose. He followed this action with reaching for something that looked like a scissor from the counter.

“Now, you’re gonna feel a pinch” he said. “But it’s gonna be over in seconds.”

As the scissor came closer to Max’s face, she couldn’t help but tighten her grip in Lucas’ hand. Lucas anyhow, was too busy with chewing the inside of his cheek, and following every move the piercer made. He noticed Max shutting her eyes so he squeezed her hand for more reassurance. 

“Deep breathe in.” Max could feel a sharp pinch from the side of her nose.  
“Exhale.” Only milliseconds later the pinch was gone, and the only thing she could feel was her nose getting warm.

Max could feel a tug on her nose, and gloves moving against her face. She didn’t dare to open her eyes since she could feel tears fighting their way down her face, but she could only imagine the scissor - and the piercer trying to get a hoop in there.

As soon as the hands moved away from her face, she opened her eyes and tried to wipe away her tears.

“I’m sure it wasn’t that bad...” Lucas said, a bit uneasy. He leant over her, taking in her new presence.

“It’s normal tearing up after getting your nose pierced,” the piercer abrupted as he threw away his gloves and put away the so-called scissor. He came walking back with piercing aftercare products that Max was supposed to clean with every morning and night that he handed to Lucas.

“So - boyfriend, right?” The piercer asked and Lucas eagerly nodded. “What do you think of the new look?”

Lucas turned his head around, and they both watched Max as she put on her jacket.

“Totally tubular.”

**Author's Note:**

> hey! i hope you enjoyed. you can find me on tumblr as well @sadiesinkt


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